FLC: BREAKING AFAS THROUGH THE POLITICS OF EXCLUSION AND INCLUSION

Ajibola Mojoyinola

The boat of Nigeria leadership continues to sink because the youths of today do not prepare to be the leaders of tomorrow. We are here apportioning blames to our leaders. We try to be thinkers by providing solutions to the unending problems facing our dear country. We tell the world we are graduates of universities. We read and understand what we are taught. That is, we, who know how the universe works for we have been in university (or to put it simply, in universe city). But, surprisingly and contradictorily, enough is the fact that our words do not define our worlds—the principles we claim to uphold: our actions that do not align with our words; our mouths that are of two: one says and the other unsays; one speaks for, the other against; one rejects servitude, the other promotes slavery. We are of no strong and permanent principles. And that perpetually puts this country on a downward trajectory.

Borrowing Chinua Achebe’s words, the problem with Nigeria is simply and squarely the failure of leadership. A week ago, the Association of Faculty of Arts Students Electoral Chairman presented the budget for the electoral processing to the “House” to add the relevant things or delete the irrelevancies therein. This is expected in a sane environment where power is not vested only on the president who may turn to a giant hawk whose feathers cannot be tamed. It makes the people, AFASites, have a say in the administration they fund with their dues, as there are representatives from each department and level. But would these people representing AFASites really care about whom they are representing? Are they not after their CVs so that they can scribble that they have partaken in leadership position before? Can they distinguish themselves from the politics of selfishness playing out in the mainstream?

In the budget presented by the Chairman of Electoral Committee, five thousand naira (N5, 000) was for the “Press” to organize Press Night and quiz the candidates going for any post in the upcoming election. As the Press Night gives the opportunity to x-ray the thinking faculty of many self-acclaimed messiahs who have swayed many people with their honey-coated tongues of political propaganda. It also prepares some of them who are elected for the world after the election. However, the decision of the Faculty Legislative Council to cancel this academic session’s Press Night by allocating one thousand naira (N1, 000) for a programme that will call for the pressmen from every Faculty in this school is a bad history that will write horrible stories on the downfall of intellectualism and the uplift of decadence in our dear faculty.

The decision has a similitude to why Nigeria itself fails. Though we may blame Buhari for leading us to where we are now, we should not forget the role the legislative arm play to frustrate any tint of development that is coming into this country. Their hypocrisy of “in the national interest” whereas billions of naira is running into their accounts. Similarly, one will think the FLC’s decision was borne out of “in the interest of AFASites”. But no. It is for their own selfish interests.

They have turned the ” house” into the arena where personal interest overcomes the public interest, where one may choose to fight over one’s enemy, where “boyfriending” and “girlfriending” approves or disapproves the budget one is presenting.

Come to think of it, when the Chairman of the Council of President presented their Arts in Arts budget, a programme that promotes intellectualism and revives our dead traditions, the FLC cried out that it is of no necessity to exclude the programme out thus they should include it to AFAS WEEK. But the similar thing is not done to their own programme, Quiz Competition. If truly we are aiming to make the Association thrives, why would FLC exclude their programme out of the AFAS WEEK? While the reason presented by the Speaker is because the event is to be sponsored with the resource of AFAS yet, it does not man enough to disclaim the seeming display of superiority.

Also, the budget on the Dean’s Game presented by the Sport Director contained many sporting activities like Chess, Table Tennis and lots. This was so because the Sport Director wanted the content of the budget to relate with its title: Dean’s Game. And to bring out talent in every sphere of the game since who knows what one may end up doing in the future. But all these games except football and racing were cancelled for the reason, FLC said, that they are something easily accessible to people. That Table Tennis and others are not unique as a game for people can play it every day, anywhere. Thus, they cancelled it. If this argument suffices who in this world will make those games his/her profession? Why would over millions of people disturb themselves watching these games like Table Tennis in the first place since people have them in their homes and they can go out and play them anytime, anywhere? Why would Serene Williams and others fight over winning these games?

Dear AFASites, it is good you blame the executives for the failure in executing some scintillating programmes you want. But you must not forget that the executive only cannot make the Association great. The executives may want good things for the Association but if the legislative arm do not approve it, it is only hanging has a mere wish. Thus, this is high time AFASites spoke out what on the things more pressing to them. It is considered an opinion that you should ask your representatives about what takes place in the house; seek to know what resolutions were made based on logical arguments and why. Do not forget that the time when it will be too late to speak, when they will have become Sarakis and Buharis of Aso Rock, when they would have dug graves in the corner of our bodies: when they would make us carry grave everywhere, every time.

However, this is not to say all the honourable members are culpable of the wrong doings. There are some of them who are really after the greatness of this faculty. But what effect will these people weigh upon the majority who are after their pockets and their selfish interests?

Every leadership in this association has already established what many will not forget as long as history remains our next-door neighbour. Whether good or bad, we can only hope that posterity judges each accordingly.